8. Beat Jet Lag with Your Diet

Fewer things are worse than going on a long flight only to be sick for hours when you get there thanks to jet lag. There’s an Anti-Jet Lag Diet designed by the Department of Defense and supported by a military study as effective at keeping jet lag at bay. It’s a four-day plan where you alternate feasting and semi-fasting (not as bad as it sounds!).

7. Save Energy and Money with the Navy Shower

Everyone who enjoys showers can skip this one, but everyone else might want to just give it a chance because you can not only save a couple of hundred dollars on your water bill, but also help conserve water. The trick is to turn off the shower after your body’s wet, lather up, and then turn the water back on just to rinse off. It makes sense, even if it doesn’t sound fun.

6. Keep Your Dress Shirt Tucked in Neatly

Billowing dress shirts just aren’t in fashion anymore. The video above shows how to pinch and tuck your dress shirt in, military style, for a more presentable, slimmer appearance (plus other dress shirt tricks).

5. “Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable”

This one’s not so much a trick but a mind hack (or at least a quotable to keep in mind): Change your perspective so you’re comfortable with the uncomfortable, and you’ll be prepared for anything. Not necessarily extreme physical situations, but any of the many uncomfortable situations life will throw at you.

4. Gauge Your Fitness Level

Speaking of discomfort, here’s the Marine Corps fitness test that will show you how fit or unfit you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re Marine material or not, the three exercises (pull-ups, crunches, and a three-mile run done within 2 hours) will give you a benchmark of your current fitness for future reference.

3. Know the Real Signs of Drowning

The signs of drowning are very subtle—not the splashy, loud show you might expect. The U.S. Coast Guard posted the signs everyone should be aware of, so you can know when to call for help or act, if you’re properly trained. (Don’t be a hero, remember the life-saving advice “reach, throw, row, go.”)

2. Make Great Coffee Anywhere

Great coffee? From the military? As you’ve noticed by now, these guys get around a lot, and know how to improvise. Former Marines-turned-coffee-book-authors Michael Haft and Harrison Suarez showed us the best methods for making great coffee on the go, whether you’re camping or happen to be somewhere you need a very sturdy mug.